On April 21, Mexico marked the day 100 years ago when 6,500 U.S. Marines and soldiers disembarked in the port of Veracruz.
The incident is remembered in Mexico as an “heroic” defense of its territory in the face of an unjust invasion by a foreign power.
The intervention was ordered by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson ostensibly to block a shipment of arms from Germany to the Mexican dictator Victoriano Huerta.
The situation between the United States and Huerta had deteriorated two weeks earlier, when Mexican authorities mistakenly arrested eight U.S. sailors at Tampico in what came to be known as the Tampico Affair.The commander of U.S. naval forces in the area, Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo, protested strongly, demanding that the U.S. flag be hoisted in the Tampico square and that a 21-gun salute be offered as a public apology. The Mexican government was willing to give a public apology on the pages of U.S. newspapers but not to hoist the U.S. flag or to give the salute.
Once they had landed unopposed on the Veracuz waterfront, the U.S. marines were instructed to capture the customs house, post and telegraph offices, as well as secure all armaments.
The defense of Veracruz was led by Mexican Commodore Manuel Azueta and organized at the local Military Naval Academy. Arms were distributed to the local population but few people were trained in their correct usage and ammunition was scarce. At first U.S. Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher had intended only to occupy the waterfront area but eventually decided to expand the operation to the entire city. The fighting lasted for three days before the U.S. forces took control of the port. The only casualties reported were Mexican cadets Virgilio Uribe Robles and José Azueta.
Veracruz was essentially cut off from the rest of Mexico until the U.S. forces withdrew seven months later. By that time Huerta had surrendered the reins of government to Venustiano Carranza, who was marginally more amenable toward the United States.
As a result of the defense put up by the Naval School cadets and faculty, the Military College in Veracruz became the Heroic Naval Military School of Mexico by congressional decree in 1949.